Insights from a 35-year label printer.
Technical guides, regulatory deep-dives, case studies, and answers to the questions our customers actually ask. Plain language, no fluff.
Reference documents
Evergreen reference material for designers, buyers, and partners working with The Label Shoppe. These pages stay pinned at the top of Resources — they don't rotate with our blog posts.
Artwork specifications →
File formats, resolution, bleeds, UPC handling, white ink — everything your pre-press files need to skip the back-and-forth.
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Why PMS color matching matters more than HEX
HEX values look the same on every monitor. PMS colors look the same on every label.
What's the difference between flexo and digital printing?
When to use flexographic printing, when to use digital, and why most CPG brands need both.
How a 400-SKU brand caught a $10,000 revision mistake
A 400-SKU CPG brand reordered Revision 1 of a label. The current spec was Revision 2.
USDA inspection legend rules: the 4 most-missed details
A practical walkthrough of the most-missed USDA inspection legend requirements.
A buyer's guide to SGS-audited GMP in label printing
What SGS-audited GMP means in practice for CPG buyers, what it covers, and why most label printers don't have it.